Episode 12: The Inauguration, Part 1

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

The next morning began with a quick breakfast before the Rangers reunited in the meeting room. They were told there was much to see today, and all of it was important, so they didn't waste any time joining the SPD Rangers.

To their surprise, when they walked into the room, they saw Bridge and Sky covered in a green substance while Jack was trying to hold back his laugh and Syd and Z were trying to get whatever that green thing was off them. Kat Manx shook her head, and Cruger sighed.

"Sometimes I know what Jake meant when he said he was running a kindergarten," said Cruger. "You should have been more careful. It's not dangerous, but you can't just throw yourself into battle like that. You are supposed to be smarter."

"Sorry," said Sky and Bridge at the same time.

"What happened here?" asked Gia, walking towards Bridge, worried. "What is this thing you are covered with?"

"Alien vomit, I think," said Bridge, giving her a smile. "We were going to arrest a long-time gambler, and the guy tried to shoot me, but Sky pushed me out of the way, and the guy ended up throwing his vomit at us."

"Ugh," said Sky, getting that green stuff out of his hair with Syd's help. "You are as reckless as ever."

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? I had it all under control," replied Bridge, never losing his smile.

"Enough," said Syd and Z at the same time, and then Syd sighed. "Seriously, you two are the worst, and you, Jack, you better stop laughing. This could have gone wrong quickly."

Jack nodded and took a deep breath. It was hard not to laugh, but Syd was right—the situation could have gone wrong quickly if it wasn't because these two idiots were the luckiest Rangers he had ever seen, with the exception of his mentors, of course.

"Go take a shower, change, and come back," ordered Kat Manx. When they looked at her, she crossed her arms. "I'm not having you two like this in this room. Go."

Sky and Bridge sighed and followed Kat's orders while Tanya looked at them with a curious look in her eyes, and then she looked at Aisha. They had a weird connection since they were both Yellow Rangers, but this was something they both had been feeling since they got here.

"I'm not the only one thinking there is some kind of connection between Jake, Conner and Mike and the boys, right?" whispered Aisha. "I mean, we know Bridge is Jake's son, but Sky also seems part of the family."

"I have been thinking the same," whispered Tanya. "They all seem to have a deep connection to them. I wonder how it happened. Maybe we should go and talk to them? See what we can find out?"

"That can be arranged."

Both women turned around to see Cruger there. He had a smile as he indicated they could leave and see the boys, but as soon as they received indications, they both started to wonder why he was allowing them to leave.

What was with those boys they could learn? Neither Tanya nor Aisha had a clear idea, but they were going to find out, one way or another. Excusing themselves, they left the room. Billy gave Cruger a confused look, but the Commander just nodded and walked to the recorder.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for you to see the inauguration of this academy. This happened early in the year 2015, and the events that happened that day changed the course of our journey, turning Jake, Conner, and Mike into legends," said Cruger.

The Rangers understood the importance of the message as Cruger started the recorder, showing Eltar that morning and the Academy, decorated for the inauguration of what the Rangers knew today as the SPD Academy.

-L-

Space Patrol Delta Academy (2015) – Jake's Office

Jake took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. Dressed in a long jacket that had the badge of the Academy on his chest, by his heart, and a stripe running from the collar of the jacket down to the end honoring his three colors: black, green, and white. Jake tried to find himself in this new path, yet there was a big part of him that couldn't find the courage everyone else seemed to see in him.

Jake wasn't sure of this new responsibility, but he intended to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. He smiled softly, touching the badge of his academy. As soon as they started the design, Jake wanted to make sure to create something for the books, so he combined the traditional badge of the Time Force Rangers with a tribute to the people that were lost in the attack on the planet Sirius. Jake wanted to make sure everyone knew they would leave no one out, and with this, he also wore the burden of not being able to save them.

On top of the design, there were the letters of the academy, the name that his school would have from now on: Space Patrol Delta. As the guardians of the universe, Jake wanted something that would let everyone know they could count on them and, at the same time, something powerful, so he contacted Kendall and Chase, and they came up with the name in honor of their families. Jake was sure both Andros and Leo would be proud.

He hoped everyone would be proud once they were back.

"Alright, Jacob, ready or not, it's time." said Jake to himself.

The door of his office opened, and Jake turned around, distracted by the newcomer when he saw Bridge running towards him. He was wearing a prototype of the uniform Kat Manx was creating for the new cadets, slightly heavier and more protective than normal clothes. Bridge's uniform was grey pants and a jacket with the symbol of the academy. The biggest difference was that part of Bridge's jacket was green because he loved the pirate Ranger, and Jake didn't have the heart to deny him.

"Papa? Are you ready?" asked Bridge.

Jake chuckled and knelt when Bridge came running to him. His hair was a mess, and he had part of his jacket open, so Jake pulled him up to the desk and started to fix his hair while Bridge looked at him curiously.

"Papa, you are tickling me!" said Bridge, laughing.

"Stay still, Bridge. Your hair is crazy, buddy," said Jake, trying to fix Bridge's hair and laughing. "I understand now how my father felt."

"Grandpa did this too?" asked Bridge, curious, and Jake nodded. "Yes, he did it when I was young, and then your Grandma took over when she saw the mess we were," said Jake, finally managing to fix his son's hair.

Bridge continued looking with interest as Jake fixed his jacket next, and when he was done, he looked at Bridge with a big smile. "Look at you, almost set, but now that you are here, I remember I had something I wanted to give you before the inauguration. Wait here."

Jake turned around, walking into the small room, and then he came back with a small box. He figured they had time before going out there, and giving this to Bridge was important to him. Besides, now that he was his son, he needed to do this.

"Here," said Jake, putting the small box beside Bridge and getting out an old badge. "Everything in this box is yours now. Some were given to me, and some others I got them for you, and since we have some time, I thought you would like to see them."

Bridge nodded, excited when Jake put his Time Force badge in Bridge's hand. "This was given to me when I was very young by the same people that told me I would become a Ranger someday. These people, the Time Force Rangers, are Wes, Jen, Katie, Trip, Lucas, and Eric. They protect time, and this is their badge. There is also Alex and Circuit but they live… well, they are far away from here, safe."

"Wow…" said Bridge. "Papa! You are giving it to me?"

Jake nodded. "This badge reminded me of the honor and strength necessary to change your destiny, Bridge. Someday, when you face those challenges, I want you to look at it and remember that no matter what, there is always a way to overcome obstacles thrown at you, and that strength is right here," said Jake, putting a finger on Bridge's chest, near his heart.

Bridge looked down at the badge and nodded, very serious. Next, Jake got another thing from the box: pictures of his team. "This is my team. You know them, remember? They will teach you everything you need to know, like past Rangers did with me. You will learn to be strong and bring justice from Troy, you will be super smart like Noah, and you will be kind like Emma, and maybe you can learn photography. You will be a beacon of hope for your people like Orion, and you will be a protector like Gia. And after we get everyone back, I will be the father you deserve, hopefully half as good as mine is," explained Jake, looking at him with proud eyes. "You, Bridge, are my future, and they are everything I fought to protect for a long time. Once we are together again, I will finally have everything I want in this world."

Bridge nodded, putting a hand on his father's arm. He understood since his father introduced the Rangers to him. He could feel the connection with the Megaforce Rangers, even though the crystals, and he couldn't wait to meet them all. Jake smiled, looking inside the box. There was one more thing there, and Jake took it with a soft breath before putting the morpher in Bridge's free hand.

"This is my birth mother's morpher but it doesn't have any power, because all was given to my aunt Aisha and yet it holds something more important. It has my heart in it. My mother has been with me all my life through stories and memories, and I know she will be with you too now," said Jake.

"Yellow?" asked Bridge, and Jake nodded. "Yellow is a pretty color."

"You are right," said Jake, looking at the watch. "I have more for you, but it will have to wait. We have a ceremony to attend."

Bridge nodded, and Jake watched the boy putting his things back in the box carefully. He looked so serious, taking care of everything as if it was his own personal treasures. Once he was finished, Bridge looked up to his papa with a toothy smile.

"We should go, papa."

"Yeah, let's go."

Jake helped Bridge get down from the desk, and together, hand in hand, father and son walked out of the office with a renewed confidence and a heart full of memories that would carry them for the rest of their lives.

-L-

SPD Academy (2015) – Waiting Room

In the waiting room, where Conner, Mike, Anubis, Kat, and the robots were waiting for them, there was a calm and happy environment. The new teachers were ready, and the only ones missing were Jake and Bridge. So, when they came in, all the attention went to them.

They were all dressed formally. Jordan, the Samurais, and the Pai Zhua master were using their formal uniforms. Kat Manx was the only one dressed casually, but she also had a lab coat, giving them the status as their scientist and technological expert. Anubis was beside her, wearing the standard SPD Uniform, an adult version of the one Bridge was wearing, but instead of green, Anubis had a dark silver color. Finally, Conner and Mike were wearing the same uniform Jake used, only the jacket was slightly shorter, and Conner's stripe was red while Mike's was green.

They looked so mature that Jake felt like a kid on the first day of school, but he pushed his nerves away and took a deep breath. He was the Commander, and he had to be brave.

"Hey," said Conner, managing to get Jake's attention. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Jake, taking a deep breath. "I'm not exactly what you call a leader, and this is a big step, but I'll try my best."

"Don't worry about it. Just be yourself," said Conner and looked down at Bridge. "You will stay with us while your dad gives the opening speech, Bridge."

Bridge nodded and gave his father a look, trying to give him all the courage he could before he went with Conner. The Firebird Ranger pulled Bridge up in his arms and started tickling him to make him laugh while Mike approached Jake.

"Conner is right, be yourself, Jake. It has gotten you here, and it made the leaders understand this was necessary," said Mike, smiling at the young man. "We will be there with you too, but you need to take a step forward and show them this is not a game or a joke. Bring out the Ranger inside you, kid."

"I will," said Jake, feeling his doubts calm down. Mike was right; he needed to show his Ranger side now more than ever. He took a deep breath, looked at the room around him one more time, and then looked outside, where hundreds of people were waiting for them.

It was time.

"Very well, everyone. Let's go," said Jake.

Together with his friends and Bridge, Jake opened the double doors that would lead him to the patio where he was supposed to give his introduction speech. He remembered he was Jake Holling, and at the same time, he was a Power Ranger with a duty given to him by Gosei. Jake looked up to the sky and smiled softly, hoping that somehow, his mentor can see him now.

"Guide me, Gosei," whispered Jake, and then he took a step outside.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Locker Rooms

Aisha and Tanya made sure all that green substance was out of Bridge and Sky's hair while they watched them interact. By what they could tell, the whole SPD team was close, but there was something different in these two and Syd. The three of them knew each other pretty well.

"You know your dad would be laughing if he saw us now," said Sky, as he put another SPD uniform jacket on.

"Yours too. In fact, he would be rolling on the ground by now," said Bridge, and Sky chuckled, nodding while Bridge grabbed his jacket. "Even Syd's dad would be laughing at this point."

"Of course he would. He also would make sure to get a picture to show everyone," said Sky.

Bridge laughed while Aisha and Tanya shared a look. They had gone to throw the towels away while they left Sky and Bridge changing, and by the time they came back, both young men were dressed in new uniforms and talking, unaware they were there. It was evident Bridge knew Sky's and Syd's fathers, and it sparked an idea in them.

But could it be possible? There was one way to find out. Aisha and Tanya walked into the room and surprised the boys as they were getting up.

"Oh, Aisha, Tanya, thanks for the help," said Bridge, smiling at them. "We can go back now and…"

"Stop right there, young man. Both of you need to answer a few questions," said Aisha, pushing Sky and Bridge back into the chairs softly. "We heard you talking about your parents."

"And we want to know the truth," said Tanya, crossing her arms with a smile. "Jake is not the only one with a son, is he?"

Sky and Bridge almost jumped from their seats, but the two Yellow Rangers managed to stop them. Just like Jake told them, both Aisha and Tanya gave them a feeling of calm, as if with them, Bridge and Sky were protected from any judgment—a trait typical of a Yellow Ranger. The two young men took a deep breath before Sky nodded, looking down.

"You are right," said Sky, not looking at them. "Bridge is not the only one."

"Sky and I are too part of this as much as Bridge is," said Syd from the door. Everyone turned to look at her as she walked into the room and towards the boys. She sat between them, allowing Bridge to hold her hand while she hugged Sky, who left a kiss on the side of her head.

Aisha and Tanya looked at them, now young adults who right now looked like three lost kids. The math was very simple, yet they waited, giving them time to explain themselves as the two Yellow Rangers sat down and took their hands.

"I'm the adopted son of Conner McKnight," said Sky, taking a deep breath. "I'm a year older than Bridge and Syd, and soon enough you will know why I'm here. But… I can't face the Dino Rangers or Kira. I just… I can't…"

"Why?" whispered Aisha.

"Because I failed," said Sky, looking at her with tears in his eyes. "I promised father he would be there when you all came back. I told him I was going to be strong enough to make it happen, and I failed."

Aisha felt her heart break. From all of them, Sky always seemed so serious and patient, a completely different view from what she saw of Conner or Jake. But it was in this moment where she could see Sky for what he truly was, and she got up to hug him. The young man hid his face in her shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"Sky, none of you failed. It is a tragedy, but this is in no way your fault. I bet you made Conner happy with the time you spent together."

"We did make them happy," said Bridge, smiling softly. "They looked so proud when we became Rangers. They always said we were the legacy of all the hard work."

"Never once… never once did they look down at us," whispered Sky.

"There was no reason to," said Tanya, holding Syd's hand. "Look at you three, and Jack and Z. You are a good team, a strong one, and most importantly, you are family."

Then she looked at Syd, and the young woman hugged her tight. Tanya was surprised at first, but it seemed Syd was more sensitive than the boys, if that was possible. Hearing all this finally broke the shell she put around herself.

"They always said that" whispered Syd in Tanya's arms before looking up to her. Tanya smiled softly, pushing the blonde locks away from Syd's eyes. "You must be Mike's daughter?"

"Yes, Sydney," said Syd, smiling through her tears. "Uncle Jake was right about you two. It really was good to be able to tell this to you."

Aisha and Tanya shared a look, confused, but this time Bridge was the one taking out his morpher and playing a small video from his father. As he activated the device, an older version of the Jake both Aisha and Tanya knew appeared, dressed in his Commander uniform.

"Bridge, the Rangers are coming back soon. I can feel it, and I can also feel the final battle ahead," said Jake, taking a deep breath. "I don't know what is going to happen, but if something happens to us and you need someone to get you through the darkest times, you talk to Aisha Campbell and Tanya Sloan, please. They helped me when I needed someone to just hear me out and cry with me. I need courage, bravery, and the many stories that both have to tell. Trust them with everything you have. They won't let you down. I can promise you that."

The message ended with Jake's natural smirk, and both Aisha and Tanya found themselves speechless. They were the ones supporting him the most when he lost his mother. Aisha was a direct descendant of Trini's power coin, and she felt overly attached to the boy through her Saber-Tooth Tiger. Tanya, who had been there with the whole team, had been doing her best to keep the team afloat and show young Jake that there was a lot waiting for him. Both women ended up making a common front to give Jake some freedom inside his training.

All those moments, a lifetime ago, stayed with Jake, and now, he passed it onto these three Rangers, looking at them like lost kids. How could they refuse them?

"You know…" said Aisha, sitting beside Bridge and extending her hand to cover both Syd's and Sky's hands. "…in the past, we faced different challenges. We lost and won and lost again, but moments like this helped us to pull through."

Tanya, following Aisha, also sat beside Sky and hugged him, extending her hand to reach Syd and Bridge. Both women had their hands over Syd, in a clear signal of unity.

"The future is in constant change, and we can't predict what happens next. But we can stay strong and together to face it all. That's what Jake meant, and that's what your parents tried to teach you. Now, we are here to tell you that if you ever need a place away from everyone, we will be here, for all of you."

Bridge, Syd, and Sky looked at each other and nodded, feeling the bond with these women strong in their hearts. The path ahead was a long one, but together they could find a way. And when the dark tries to take them, they will come here, to Aisha Campbell and Tanya Sloan—the lights at the end of the tunnel.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

By the time Bridge, Sky, and Syd came back, Z and Jack knew something was going on between them and Aisha and Tanya, but no one said anything. Bridge took his place with the Megaforce Rangers while Sky and Syd sat near Jack.

The images presented Commander Jacob Scott as they had never seen him. He had the same serious expression his father used in critical situations, his mother's soft eyes shining in the sun, and the firm posture reminded many of Tommy Oliver.

His whole demeanor made Tommy and Jason share a look. Behind them, guarding him, Mike stood with a hand on his sword, his senses alert in case of something going wrong. Mentor Ji was impressed, as he had only seen him this focused around his friends or with Emily. This Mike was different; he was not a lazy boy anymore. He was a man.

On the other side, Conner smiled with little Bridge in his arms. The boy was scared of the crowd, so Conner spread his wings enough to allow Bridge to play with them, distracted by the soft warmth of the wings. From her seat, Kira chuckled softly watching them. Conner had always been good with kids; his campus was good evidence of that, and they had even discussed having a few. Seeing him now with Bridge made Kira's heart fill with love and sadness because now she had seen Conner with Bridge just like when he saw him with Jake. She could not think about anything else that wasn't having a baby with him, and it was impossible.

Cruger looked at the scene, remembering that day with clear detail when suddenly, something caught his eye. He looked at the table where the objects were, and for a moment, he thought he saw a glimpse of dark energy in them. Confused, Anubis looked again, but it was gone. He frowned, maybe he was imagining things. He focused on the images as Jake looked at the number of people he had in front of him. Many came from other planets, looking for a safe place, and others, searching for a way to defend their planet.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Space Patrol Delta Academy," said Jake in the image, scanning over the area of the people who would soon become residents and cadets of this academy. "My name is Jacob Thomas Scott Kwan, and I'm the Commander of this Academy. As you know, we are living in difficult times with the Dark Ranger targeting several planets in the Universe. As the White Lion Ranger, my job is to ensure that he doesn't win, but to get to that point, I need help—your help."

They could see some people whispering, but Jake never wavered, nor did the people behind him. Their trust in what they were creating was there, and they just had to get others to believe in them.

"We know about fear. We know about loss, but that is the same reason we fight today. There is something the Dark Ranger can't take from us, and that's the will to live. And as long as we have that, he won't be able to win," said Jake with a certainty that didn't leave room for doubt. "I won't ask you to fight him or his army—that is my job, along with my guardians and friends, Conner McKnight, the Firebird Ranger, and Mike, the Green Wolf Ranger. What we want for you is to live your lives without fear. If you want to train with us and protect this planet and the Universe, we will teach you everything we know. If you want to live a normal life, here you have the tools to get to that point. This academy is not a place to judge, and it is not a place to force anyone to do something they don't want to do. This academy is about duty, legacy, and respect. It is about teachings we learned in our journeys and the desire to protect this Universe. It is about love and compromise, and it is for everyone who wishes to come here in peace."

Kat Manx watched this with the same amazement she had that day. The capacity of someone so young to take the lead in this situation the way he did, bearing the weight of this war on his shoulders with only the wish of bringing back what was lost to him.

She felt a touch on her arm and saw Anubis giving her an odd look before he pointed towards the objects. Kat could see then the objects on their table: Masamune, the Red Dino Gem, and the video recorder were glowing with their natural soft glows, but there was something else… something different, and no one else had noticed because they were too focused on Jake's speech.

"If you wish to get to know more about this academy and what we can achieve together, please, join us…"

Suddenly, an explosion in the images made the Rangers jump in their seats. They saw smoke towards the entry of the academy and Jake screaming to Anubis and Kat Manx to get Bridge and the people inside the academy. They saw Mike jumping in the air, sword in his hand and morphing into his Wolf Ranger armor, slashing enemies with rapid movements, and Conner giving Bridge to Kat Manx before he ran towards the battlefield, spreading his wings and calling for his power to transform into the Firebird Ranger, using his bow to create several arrows that flew to the enemy, turning them into ashes.

The last one was Jake, who took off his jacket and ran to the battlefield, his whole body sparked with white lightning as he made a powerful jump, calling for his White Lion power and roaring. He landed on the ground, creating an earthquake that threw several enemies away. Jake looked up in front of him to face his enemies when he saw exactly the same nightmare he had in Sirius. It was them, there was no doubt.

"Rita Repulsa…" whispered Jake.

Jason felt dizzy when he saw a version of one of his most terrifying enemies at the academy, surrounded by putty patrollers and Goldar. This was not possible, and yet, he was seeing her and Goldar. Rita was laughing, and Goldar was having a merciless combat with Conner.

And then… Anubis saw the objects on the table get covered with dark energy, as if it was fighting with the good side of the sword, the Dino Gem, and the video recorder. Anubis quickly instructed the SPD Rangers to stand and protect the other Rangers if necessary when Bridge's morpher went off. The SPD Green Ranger looked at it, confused, but followed his heart and opened his morpher to find another message from his dad.

"Bridge!" said an older version of Jake. The Megaforce Rangers gathered together as they saw their Green Ranger in the morpher. "We don't have much time! You know a version what is going to happen, and this one is too complicated, but let's say the Dark Ranger corrupted the objects we had for you through us in an attempt to erase us through our memories in a weird time loop I have no time to explain. The only way to save the objects and our memories is to go in and help us to defeat the corrupted copies he is creating, and that are inside our memories right now!"

"What!?" screamed Anubis.

"Anubis must be going 'what!?' right now, but you guys need to focus. If he destroys our memories, there will be nothing left of us, and you won't be able to see everything you need to see. You need to stop it!" screamed Jake. "You need to get the team that faced that enemy in their original form and, along with the rest of the SPD Rangers, you need to help us in those memories or all will be lost and before you ask, only you can go because… well, because you can. You will see us there, you will be able to talk to us briefly, but whatever you do, never tell us what's going on in the future, do you understand!? I… we will explain later. Now get the team, put your morphers in front of the objects, and go!"

Bridge didn't understand, but the urgency in his father's voice didn't leave him much room to think as he looked at Jason. They both nodded at the same time, and gathering the team quickly, the original Rangers and the SPD Rangers did what Jake told them.

A second later, they were gone, leaving the room in silence until Wes looked at Kat Manx, confusion clear on his face. "What is going on!?" asked Wes.

"I'm not sure…" said Kat, also confused. "But I'm sure we will find everything about it soon enough."

She looked at the images then, trying to understand what was going on while an unsettling feeling started to press her heart in an unpleasant way. There was more to this story; she knew it since they left everything said and done before it happened. Yet, she chose to ignore it until now, when they were going to know the full story, even the one she doesn't know yet.

-L-

SPD Academy (2015) – Battlefield

Jake was not having a good day. He hit the ground for the third time as Rita used her magic to fight his strength. Not far from him, Mike was surrounded by putty patrollers that barely let him move, and Conner was locked in a brutal fight with Goldar. Jake took a deep breath, getting up. There was no way to win like this—they were more and better prepared.

Only three Rangers against an army. What was he thinking!?

"You are like your father, Ranger! Too scared to act!" said Rita, laughing. Jake got up, angry, and when Rita sent him another magic wave, Jake used his bare hands to stop it, kneeling because of the effort as he did everything he could so she could not reach the academy.

Suddenly, on the battlefield, the SPD Rangers and the original Rangers appeared, a little dizzy as they traveled through time and apparently memories that weren't theirs. But here they were, and right now, they had more pressing matters to attend than their questions.

"Tommy, Kimberly, get Conner! Zack, Aisha, get Mike! Billy, you with me!" screamed Jason before showing his morpher. "It's morphin time!"

"Commander, Sky, go help Tommy and Kimberly! Syd, Z, you two go with Zack and Aisha! Bridge, you are with me!" screamed Jack. Then he and his team prepared. "SPD! Emergency!"

The teams ran towards the Rangers while Jake screamed as Rita used all her powerful magic against him. He was about to fall, allowing her to overpower him when Jake heard something—steps running towards him. And then, he saw two Red Shadows, a Blue one, and a Green one.

"Delta Blasters!" screamed Jack and Bridge at the same time while Jason screamed, "Power Sword!" and Billy followed with "Power Lance!"

All of the attacks hit Rita at the same time, causing her to fall to the ground while the White Lion Ranger got up, getting a better look at the newcomers. What he saw took his breath away. In front of him were people that he never thought he would see again.

"Dad…" whispered Jake.

In front of him, Jack Landors, Bridge Carson, Billy Cranston, and Jason Lee Scott walked towards him, all using their Ranger armors, all ready to fight. For the first time since all this happened, Jake could feel the lion inside him roar in happiness.

They were here… they were back.